Tragedy of the Commons and Ecological Footprints

Tragedy of the Commons

the tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain

Commons

a shared land or resources belonging to or affecting the whole of a community

Garrett Hardin

published "The Tragedy of the Commons" in the journal Science in 1968; argued that rational people will exploit shared resources (commons)

Ecological Footprint

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources

Developed Country

a modern, industrialized country in which people are generally better educated and healthier and use more resources than developing countries

Developing Country

A country that is at a relatively early stage in the process of economic development and uses less resources than developed countries

Carbon Footprint

the total carbon dioxide emissions produced by an individual, group, or location

Sustainability

The use of Earth's renewable and nonrenewable natural resources in ways that do not constrain resource use in the future